Car Insurance and Your Personal Belongings - Advertisement Feature by John Lewis Insurance

Finding out your car has been stolen can be traumatic enough, but realising your personal belongings have gone missing with it can be devastating.

Most good car insurance policies will cover your personal belongings up to a certain value in the event of any accident, fire or theft involving your car. But it’s not just the financial cost that takes its toll – it’s inconvenient and upsetting if you lose personal items.

You can reduce the risk of having to make a car insurance claim by taking a few simple precautions to safeguard your belongings.

It’s good to get into the habit of locking your car doors when you’re driving along, so that no opportunist thief can try to open the door when you stop at a junction or traffic lights.

Losing your handbag can be a massive inconvenience, and it often contains irreplaceable items such as photographs, your favourite make-up or even jewellery. So never leave it unattended in your car. You should also be careful if you stop at traffic lights with the windows open or roof down, as thieves can strike in seconds. Make sure your handbag is well out of sight when you’re driving along – tuck it away safely under a seat.

Many car insurance policies will not cover your personal belongings if you don’t lock your car or leave windows open when you park. It sounds obvious, but it only takes a minute for a thief to strike if you leave a window open on a sunny day while you pop to the shop. It’s just not worth taking the risk.

Never leave money or credit cards in your car, as it’s unlikely that your car insurance policy would cover them if it was stolen. Phones may also be excluded, so it’s best to carry yours with you when you leave the car. These things are easy prey for thieves, and costly to replace.

Don’t be tempted to store things like golf clubs or tents in your boot. If you don’t need them that day, don’t leave them in the car. If a thief really wants to get to them, they’ll find a way, even if you think you’ve left the car securely locked.

If your car is stolen and you have to claim on your car insurance, it can be hard to remember exactly which personal belongings were left in it, especially if you’re in a panic. So it’s best to avoid carrying too many things around in your car.

Advertisement feature supplied by:

John Lewis Insurance offers a range of insurance services selected by the John Lewis Partnership. These include pet, life, travel, wedding, event, car and home insurance products.

For more information about John Lewis Car Insurance please visit the website here.